Last Updated on June 12, 2012 5:21 pm
According to NCDOT blasting operations are currently scheduled to begin on U.S. 321 in Blowing Rock Wednesday, June 13, at 10 a.m., weather permitting. The drilling and blasting operations will take place in the area near New River Falls Road and move southward. Affected property owners near any blasting area will be notified 24 hours prior to blasting.
Road closures are not necessary during this phase of the project. Traffic will be controlled during this blasting by using flagmen to temporarily stop traffic a safe distance from the blast area. Lane closures may be used if needed, and there will be minimal delays.
Construction crews prepared for the blasting by drilling test areas and performing test blasts last week. Those test blasts were monitored, and noise and vibration levels were recorded at well-below project limits. Blasting noise and vibration levels will depend on proximity to the blast. People will hear an extended “popping” or low-level thumping sound rather than a loud bang.
This project has specifications that limit vibration and noise levels associated with the blasting to well below damage-inducing levels. For more information on blasting on this project, please go to the project website (www.ncdot.gov/projects/BlowingRock321/) and click on the blasting PDF, or call the project hotline (828-964-3260) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You also can check the town’s noise ordinances at www.townofblowingrock.com and search for “noise ordinance.”
The N.C. Department of Transportation reminds all motorists to drive slowly using caution in work zones. When lane closures are in effect, remember to watch for flaggers standing near the roadway and be prepared to stop.
The speed limit along U.S. 321 remains 35 miles per hour. The N.C. State Highway Patrol continues to monitor this corridor for speeding violations.
